The wind ceased, the rain stopped.
The clamour of conversation, footsteps, and car horns all vanished without a trace.
The world fell into silence, then all matter began to fade, turning grey and white.
Then, as if an eraser had swept across paper, everything within the world was erased, leaving only Grindelwald and Wayne.
The distance between them, originally less than ten paces, had somehow become extremely vast.
"Mr Grindelwald, you've really given me quite the surprise."
Wayne rubbed his forehead, speaking softly as if with a headache: "Dumbledore has only been gone for two or three days, and you couldn't resist coming out for a stroll."
"Hmph."
Grindelwald emerged from his shock, chuckled lightly, and looked down to play with the wand in his hand: "You sent me that newspaper, wasn't it precisely with the intention of making me break out?"
Wayne's eyebrows twitched.
"That's a false accusation. I merely wanted to share my joy at becoming Headmaster with you, so you could be happy for me too. How did that become inciting you to break out?"
"Because I saw it - this is the turning point." Grindelwald's heterochromatic eyes glowed radiantly. "The revelation of the future told me I should emerge."
Wayne's smile remained unchanged: "Did that revelation also tell you that if you don't satisfy me, you'll have to go back today?"
"Which side are you actually on?"
Wayne wasn't absolutely determined to keep Grindelwald locked in Nurmengard; they had always gotten along quite well before, and Grindelwald had helped him tremendously.
In truth, since Grindelwald had escaped his confinement, he ought to offer congratulations and perhaps even send a gift.
But the timing of Grindelwald's emergence and what he intended to do afterwards - these were extremely important.
The current moment was delicate, and Grindelwald's identity was far too special.
Wayne had to ascertain his intentions—whether he would make the situation even more dreadful.
"I never take sides; it has always been others who choose to stand with me." Grindelwald stood tall and straight as a pine tree, his eyes blazing with astonishing intensity.
"That was before." Wayne stared back at him unflinchingly. "Old Gellert, times have changed. This isn't the era of your rivalry with Dumbledore anymore."
"Either become my friend, or... become my enemy."
Grindelwald looked utterly incredulous. "Is this what being a Hufflepuff's friend means?"
"This is the special Lawrence edition."
"And if I refuse?"
Wayne didn't speak. The dark space began to distort, and immense pressure surged towards Grindelwald from all directions.
Frowning, Grindelwald waved his wand, tracing a circular arc before him.
A transparent defensive shield emitting silver light appeared, enveloping him completely. Continuous cracking sounds echoed, forcing Grindelwald to constantly channel magical power into it.
He looked somewhat pained at the young man.
'Are you some kind of dog-faced creature? Turning on someone in the blink of an eye?'
Grindelwald considered himself quite mercurial, but even he needed some pretext or excuse to turn hostile.
Weren't they still talking? How could he just attack without warning?
This was utterly dishonourable!
What alarmed Grindelwald even more was that he still hadn't discerned what bizarre magic Wayne was employing.
The two seemed to have been pulled into an alternate dimension, the entire space following Wayne's will as it sought to crush him.
"Wayne, I've helped you quite a bit, haven't I? Do you really want to send me back?" As he spoke these words, Grindelwald actually felt somewhat aggrieved.
He had been so good to this boy.
Not only had he handed over his followers' communication channels, but he had also covered his teaching duties. When Wayne said he wanted to study Horcruxes, Grindelwald immediately created one without question.
He had never done this much, even for Dumbledore.
"Old G, it's really your timing that's the problem." Wayne's expression softened slightly, and the space returned to calm.
"Why don't you go back to Nurmengard and retire for a few more months? When you come out then, I won't interfere."
"Go back my arse," Grindelwald said irritably. "I've already demolished the tower."
"Eh?" Wayne showed a surprised expression. He hadn't expected Grindelwald to be so thorough.
That was one of only two 'institutions of higher learning' in the wizarding world, and he had just demolished it? What a waste.
"Even if it weren't demolished, I wouldn't be going back."
Grindelwald rarely reasoned with people, as he preferred to let magic do the talking. But facing this young man, he felt he had the patience to explain further.
"Wayne, I know what you're worried about." Grindelwald reassured him: "Now that I'm out, my remaining loyal followers will certainly take some action. But this doesn't affect your plans and arrangements. You and I have no conflicting interests."
"What do you want?" Wayne didn't refute him; instead, he asked in return.
After decades of imprisonment, Grindelwald must have his own demands and goals now that he was free.
"Order!" Grindelwald's eyes suddenly sharpened. "I've been watching the world's development all these years. The Muggle world advances day by day, but the wizarding world remains stagnant, even regressing!"
"I won't start another war with Muggles, but wizards can't just sit and wait for extinction. We must develop too, and possess the means for self-preservation."
"Wayne, you're a wizard too. Do you truly wish for the day when magic completely disappears from this world?"
By the end of his speech, Grindelwald's voice carried a tone of lament. His pursuit had never been about personal gain or loss, but about the greater good.
"Muggles don't have the power to destroy the world, but they do possess the power to destroy civilisation."
"Therefore, wizards must also possess equivalent capabilities. Only then can we establish deterrence and maintain mutual balance."
Wayne frowned throughout this explanation, finally asking: "So you want to retread the same path from decades ago?"
"Not exactly." Grindelwald looked up at Wayne, his eyes taking on a more playful glint. "Voldemort's methods were too crude, but that little Tom did give me some inspiration."
"I just need to take control of a few countries' Ministries of Magic and gather my old comrades together."
"First, to compensate them, and second... some things value quality over quantity. A mob will always be a mob - too many people just creates complications."
"Wayne, I don't believe you haven't noticed that the world has already changed." A flash of fanaticism appeared in Grindelwald's eyes.
"The reason I left Nurmengard now is because I've seen the path forward - we can go much further on the path of magic."
Wayne remained silent.
He had certainly noticed, and had guessed the reason.
Most likely... it was related to the Dragon King, or rather, to him.
Decades ago, Grindelwald and Dumbledore had already reached the pinnacle of modern magic. Logically speaking, they should still have room for improvement.
But the reality was, they hadn't.
At most, their spellcasting techniques had become more refined, while the growth in their absolute power had been pitifully slow.
It was as if the world only permitted them to maintain their current level, preventing them from advancing.
But everything changed after a certain great being cast a glance. Wayne could tell just from the changes in the number of new students at Hogwarts, let alone now that he had touched that barrier.
In more mystical terms, it could be called a spiritual energy revival; if leaning towards the magical side, it was the return of mystery.
After pondering for a moment, Wayne said, "Old G, let's make a blood pact."
Grindelwald's expression shifted slightly; clearly, Wayne's request had struck a nerve.
"A blood pact is out of the question. I can make an Unbreakable Vow with you."
"Alright then." Wayne was somewhat disappointed but ultimately agreed.
He had even considered having Ho-Oh form a blood pact with Grindelwald to exploit a loophole—after all, with each rebirth, all restraints would vanish.
He hadn't expected Grindelwald to see through the trick.
But it didn't matter; he had found a loophole in the Unbreakable Vow as well.
The vow was soon made, and the conditions were quite lenient.
Before Grindelwald undertook any major actions, he had to inform Wayne and obtain his consent. As for what constituted a major action, Wayne didn't specify, merely pointing north.
"You're in contact with Tom?" Grindelwald frowned, unsure why Wayne placed such importance on that Horcrux-obsessed boy.
Wayne shook his head gently. "No contact, but I want to use him for certain purposes. When the time comes, I'll deal with him."
"Good."
Grindelwald breathed a sigh of relief. If Wayne and Tom were to join forces, he would genuinely worry for Dumbledore.
Tom wasn't the main concern; the important thing was that Wayne mustn't act recklessly.
"Then let's use Poland as the boundary." With a wave of his hand, Grindelwald summoned swirling mists that formed a map of Europe.
The border of Poland glowed with golden light—specifically, the side bordering the white-haired bear.
A massive frame encircled almost the entirety of Europe. Wayne's fingers twitched slightly, carving out France and Italy.
"Let's leave this place untouched. My Fleur is still there, and if your people show up, everything will be thrown into chaos."
"Fine." Grindelwald was indifferent; he wasn't interested in territory, but rather the resources of those countries.
Even without occupying Gaul, his followers could continuously drain them dry.
"I'll contact you if needed. For now, enjoy the taste of freedom, Mr Grindelwald."
Wayne tipped his hat in a slight bow. The colours of the world began to restore, and the vanished people and buildings reappeared. The street was as bustling as ever, but the young man was no longer standing before him.
"Just how far have you progressed..."
Grindelwald's gaze was profound. Though they hadn't clashed directly, he had an intuition that Wayne's methods no longer belonged to his level.
'I must find an opportunity to probe his depths,' Grindelwald thought to himself as he walked off into the distance.
...
In just one night, news of Grindelwald's escape had spread throughout neighbouring countries.
Some were furious, some panicked, while others were excited, even celebrating.
In the early hours, wizards took to the streets in dozens of countries simultaneously, chanting "For the Greater Good" and setting off fireworks displaying the iconic triangular symbol.
Yet not a single Ministry of Magic dared to intervene. Some younger Ministers for Magic who hadn't lived through that era wanted to suppress the protests, but were dissuaded by their elders.
"If Grindelwald hadn't broken out, you could have done it - locked them all up if you wanted."
"But not now. If you dare take action today, he might storm our Ministry tomorrow."
"We have fifty Aurors!"
"Aurors are no different from first-year wizards in his presence. Would you be afraid of a group of students?"
...
The Bastille.
This iconic structure symbolising Gaul's transition into a new era had been torn apart centuries ago. Now, only a perpetually under-repair square remained on the original site, commemorating past heroes.
But in reality, deep beneath the prison's lowest level lay Gaul's Ministry of Magic detention facility, still in use today.
In the deepest part of the prison stood a solitary cell.
Small but complete, it contained a single bed, a writing desk, and a bookshelf. Surprisingly, a dressing table stood at the foot of the bed.
An old woman lay quietly in a rocking chair, slowly swaying. Her leisurely appearance suggested not a prisoner, but someone enjoying their retirement.
Hurried footsteps sounded outside before the door swung open.
The old woman opened her eyes, gazing expressionlessly at the wizard who entered.
"M-Madame Rosier," the wizard swallowed hard, "I've brought you news."
"Unnecessary," the old woman said tonelessly, showing no curiosity.
"I think... you'll want to hear this," the wizard persisted. "Grindelwald... he's broken out."
The old woman's hands clenched the armrests abruptly, her eyes flying fully open.
After a long moment, she rose gracefully and walked steadily towards the dressing table.
"Make the arrangements. I'm breaking out."
"Yes, Madame."